Ireland Church History

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Ireland
Effective research in church records requires some understanding of your ancestor's religion and the events that led to the creation of church records. 

Major Historical Events

The following major events affected Irish church history and records:
1537 King Henry VIII declared himself supreme head of a new church, the Church of England (Anglican).
1541 Henry VIII became King of Ireland.
1560 The Anglican church (Church of Ireland) became the state church of Ireland under Elizabeth I.
1605-09 The plantation of Ulster was started. Many Presbyterians from Scotland were sent to Ulster to displace Irish Catholics and to strengthen English rule.
1619 The earliest known Church of Ireland parish register (St. John, Dublin) was begun.
1634 A law was passed requiring that Church of Ireland registers be kept.
1637 Presbyterian worship was suppressed by the Church of Ireland.
Mid-1600s The Quaker, Congregationalist, and Baptist movements began. The Huguenot migrations to Ireland also began.
1674 The oldest known Presbyterian register (Antrim, County Antrim) was begun.
1695-1728 The Penal Laws against Catholics were in force. Catholic clergy were banished. The Catholic church was forbidden to keep parish registers and Catholics were deprived of the rights to own property, hold office, and vote.
1719 The Toleration Act was passed, protecting Protestant dissenters.
1726 Nonconforming Presbyterians separated from the main Presbyterian body to form the presbytery of Antrim.
1747 The Methodist movement began.